One Thing the Dallas Stars Can Learn From the Las Vegas Golden Knights
While the Dallas Stars are taking an extended off-season to rest and heal up for a 2027 run, the Vegas Golden Knights are taking a shot at the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years.
When you see another team has success, you should be taking notes. What is the other club doing that we can implement into our own system?
How can we make it work for us? This is what 31 teams should be asking themselves after every June.
Winning > Loyalty
With Dallas at a crossroads with captain Jamie Benn, and whether or not he’ll return for the 2027 season, the in-house loyalty is evident. However, staying too committed to the current roster guarantees a repeat of April’s problems in the first round of the playoffs.
The Minnesota Wild exposed Dallas’ problems scoring at even strength and a Swiss-cheese defense after Nils Lundkvist was injured (with respect to Miro Heiskanen, of course).
Vegas is loyal to no person on or off the ice. They’re only loyal to one thing: winning.
The Golden Knights’ ownership will cut ties with anybody at the drop of a hat if they think it improves their chances at a Stanley Cup title.
Nothing Personal
The Golden Knights cut ties in no time with players James Neal and Marc-Andre Fleury, and with coaches Gerald Gallant and Bruce Cassidy. When things go south a little bit with their current head coach, John Tortorella, you can bet they’ll fire him, too. Players such as Jonathan Marchessault aren’t safe from the chopping block either.
Dallas cut ties with Pete DeBoer last summer. That decision was due to three straight losses in the Western Conference Finals and tension with Jake Oettinger. A goalie the Stars are promised to.
Win Now
No team comes into the NHL every year with a win-now mentality apart from the Golden Knights.
Their ownership and management (which only changed once since 2016) do not seem to believe in the phrases next year, retool, or rebuild.
For them to have a shot at the Stanley Cup next summer, adopting a mindset that cuts closer to Vegas will bring them closer to playing in June.
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Categorized:Stars